Marie Burke

            On Friday morning I memorized the first sixteen lines of “Transit à Marilou” by Serge Gainsbourg. There are just five lines left to nail down.

            I worked on my journal.

            Around midday I gathered up my laundry and took it to the laundromat. While I was loading the washers another customer noticed that I was using dish soap. He told me that he’s tried that and it sucked. I told him that I’ve been using it for decades and there’s very little chemical difference between dish detergent and laundry soap. While it was in the wash I went to the hardware store before going home. I asked for two sided tape because the two collages that I put on my wall recently with folded masking tape have both fallen down. The young employee told me the aisle and I asked if they also had three sided tape, just to see if I could make him laugh. He did smile. They had three kinds of two sided tape and one of them was foam tape that would hold a mirror on the wall. The other two were less strong but I began to worry that they might be too strong. I asked they would allow me to put up posters and remove them later. He said they might rip. Another employee who was listening suggested that I ask for sticky tak at the counter. While I was waiting in line, Angie, the woman who gives out the refrigerated food at the food bank, came in. We exchanged greetings and she called me “babe”. At the counter the cashier had two products of sticky tak that are specifically for posters. They were both the same price at $6.99 and so I took the LePage Fun Tak.

            Angie came out as I was unlocking my bike and as she was passing she asked if I’d been going to the food bank. I answered that I have been and said I hadn’t seen her. I was going to add that I assume that’s because the clients can't go downstairs right now, but she surprised me by saying she hadn’t been at the food bank for six weeks. She said she’s too nervous to go right now but that she’ll be back. I didn't ask but I wondered if something happened six weeks ago. There was an assault of volunteers there twelve weeks ago, so I don’t know if that's what she was talking about.

            I finished my laundry in the middle of my lunch hour. I had barbecue flavoured sunflower seeds and some yogourt with honey for lunch.

            In the afternoon I took a bike ride. A young woman passed me at the red light and went right out riding west through the north and south traffic, dodging the cars as she made her way across. A guy in spandex cycle gear passed me legitimately a little after that. About ten blocks later I saw the woman limping in pain beside her fallen bike as the spandex guy argued with a driver about having opened his door. “It was an accident” the driver said. “No, it’s against the law” said the spandex guy. I passed them. I'm not saying she deserved to be doored or that it was karma, but it was an interesting coincidence that she would get injured by something else shortly after going through a red light.

            In the Annex I rode behind a cyclist smoking a joint that looked like a small, tailor made cigar with a filter tip. He had whizzed past me real fast but later slowed down.

            The homeless guy that lives at the corner of Queen and Bay has been there a long time. Recently he’s had a small tent and today there was a woman sitting beside it, reading a graphic novel while he slept. I don’t know if they were living together there or not. She seemed a little too well dressed to be homeless.

            I had a potato, a carrot, a chicken leg and some gravy for dinner while watching two episodes of Robin Hood.

            In the first story two soldiers are drinking at the Blue Boar and bragging about the jewels they are carrying. They are overheard by Derwent and another of Robin’s men. It is against the rules for any of them men to act without consulting the others but Derwent determines that there would be no time to get to Robin before the soldiers are on their way and out of the forest. They set a trap by having a net drop on them and they give the soldiers enough of an impression that they are surrounded that they run away and leave their treasure behind. The treasure is in a litter, which it seems more likely to carry people. Derwent reaches inside and pulls it back with a little boy’s teeth clamped down on his finger. Inside the litter are a very finely dressed girl and boy. Derwent asks them where the jewels are and the girl answers that their father calls the two of them his jewels. There is no choice now but to take the children to the outlaw camp. Robin is displeased with Derwent but the by, Francois has latched onto Derwent in such a demanding way that Robin feels it’s enough punishment. Neither Suzette or Francois reveal where they live and so the band are forced to care for them until they find out where to take them. Suzette says that her nurse say outlaws hold children for ransom and then kill them so she refuses to reveal her father’s name so Robin can’t demand money from him. Over the next few days the children begin to enjoy life in Robin's camp. Robin teaches Suzette how to shoot with a bow and she says no one ever taught her how to do anything before because she’s a girl. She finally reveals that their father is Count Ledger. As Robin prepares to take them home the children are upset because they want to stay and feel that Robin just wanted to find out who their father was to get rid of them. Robin escorts them back towards Castle Ledger but the castle soldiers find them in the forest and Suzette, still angry, reveals to them Robin’s identity. He is arrested. It is only that night that they learn from their nurse that Robin will be escorted in the morning by a hundred soldiers and then hanged. They sneak from their beds that night. Francois is dragging a rope and Suzette has the bow and arrows that Robin gave to her. Francois attaches lines of cord to her arrows and after several tries she successfully shoots one through the window of the tower where Robin is being held. A rope is pulled up with the string and Robin ties it, descends and escapes.

            In the second story three wanderers arrive at the gates of Marian’s castle and tell groom to give Marian the message, “The berries are on the holly". She welcomes them immediately much to the dismay of her nanny, who thinks they are hoboes. They are the Earl of Westmoreland, Lord Faversham, and Henry of Exeter. Friar Tuck joins them shortly and then Robin. The men have come for a chest of jewels and gold that have been collected for the ransom of King Richard to be transported out of England to Austria. We also learn that Charles, the High Constable of England plans to stop that ransom from leaving the country. Robin has been given the task by Queen Eleanor to transport the ransom but the other men doubt his credentials. The Earl of Westmoreland leaves to go to the queen. Meanwhile the rest of the men and Marian watch over the ransom. But that night while Robin is on watch and the others sleep a hooded figure attacks him from behind. The torch is doused, the figure grabs the chest and escapes through Marian’s secret passage. Robin trails the cloaked man and sees him hide the chest. Robin is about to recover it when the Earl of Westmoreland doubles back and captures Robin. He takes Robin to the Blue Boar where the earl has arranged to meet the High Constable. The earl tells the constable that in exchange for the treasure he wants to be recognized by Prince John as the premier earl north of the Humber. The constable agrees but just as they are leaving Robin breaks free of his guards and attacks the earl. The earl draws his dagger but in the struggle he falls on it and dies. Now Robin is the only one that knows where the ransom is hidden. The constable wants to torture Robin for the information but his captain doesn’t think he would give in. He proposes that they set up a gallows at the inn and spread the word that Robin Hood will be hanged today. His band will try to rescue him but they will be ambushed. He proposes that once his friends have nooses around their necks Robin will talk. Robin is tied up in the cellar but Joan the barmaid drops a knife in between the floorboards. Robin frees himself, holds one guard at knifepoint and removes his helmet so Joan can knock him out. The same is done to a second guard. Robin, holding two swords puts them at the backs of the constable and his captain. The constable is told to call all of his men into the inn courtyard and to have them all sing “Sumer is Icumen in” as loud as they can. This is the second time that song has been sung on the show. It was a hit in the 13^th Century. While the men are singing Robin uses furniture to prop the swords at backs of the constable and captain so they think he is still there, but he sneaks away and escapes. 

            Marian’s nanny was played by Marie Burke, who was trained as an opera singer in Italy before becoming an actor. She was a founding member of Equity, the British actors trade union. In addition to acting in the theatre she worked in films from 1917 to 1971 and television from 1953 until 1969.